The Los Angeles Kings brought in a number of players on the first day of free agency and one of those players was forward Corey Perry. He has a long history with the Kings from his time with the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers, and the Kings are the team he has played the most in his 20-year career.
Last season he played with the Edmonton Oilers after Ken Holland traded with the Chicago Blackhawks for Perry at the trade deadline of the prior season. While, he was an All-Star earlier in his career he will be entering his 21st season in the NHL so even though he might not be the same player as earlier in his career, he can definitely help this team.
This is one reason to love the signing and one reason to hate it for the LA Kings.
Reason to love the signing: He brings playoff (and Stanley Cup) experience to the LA Kings
The most obvious reason is that Corey Perry will bring Stanley Cup experience and knows what it takes to win in the playoffs. While the Stanley Cup has eluded him, he has played in five of the past six Stanley Cups.
The most recent run with the Oilers he would have 10 goals and four assists in the 22 playoff games, including leading the NHL in power play goals with five. Prior to the playoffs, this is another area that Perry can help the Kings as they try to improve the power play unit from the prior season.
Reason to hate the signing: It's Corey Perry
There is plenty of history there that fans are certainly going to have to look past with Corey Perry. It is probably more just a talking point, and if he can help the Kings win, then they will be happy.
The question is how much he can help them win at this point in his career. He will be 40 years old this season and playing in his 21st season with 1,392 regular-season NHL games. That is a lot of hockey for a player, and can he continue to produce an entire season?
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Kings try to manage his minutes over the course of the season because the focus is making sure he can produce for Los Angeles in the playoffs. This will be balancing act for Jim Hiller this season.